Microwaving mushrooms is the best way to retain their goodness

How do you cook mushrooms? Do you fry them, stuff them or put them in an omelette? Well, if you want to get the benefits of all their antioxidant goodness, this is actually how we should be cooking them...

According to a new study, the best way to keep the antioxidants inside mushrooms throughout the cooking process is by microwaving or grilling them.

The least beneficial way to cook them is in fact by boiling and frying them as these methods actually reduce their levels of antioxidants, which act in protecting human cells against diseases.

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The study, carried out in Spain and published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, examined the properties of four different types of mushrooms before and after cooking, BBC News reports. The four types tested were white button, shiitake, oyster and king oyster mushrooms.

Mushrooms are packed full of goodness so it's a good idea to know how best to cook them - they contain a medley of healthy nutrients including protein, essential amino acids, fibre and vitamins, such as B, C, D and E.

Frying mushrooms decreases their level of protein, carbohydrates and antioxidant compounds, as they get lost in the oil in the frying pan.

Whereas, boiling mushrooms reduces their nutritional value as the nutrients seep into the pan's water. However, the research did find one good thing about boiling them – it improves the glucans content which may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Why are microwaving and grilling the best methods?

Having a shorter cooking time and using less liquid are the reasons these two methods of cooking mushrooms are the best in terms of retaining vitamins and nutrients.

In the study, the researcher Irene Roncero-Ramos, from the Mushroom Technological Research Center of La Rioja, said: "When mushrooms were cooked by microwave or grill, the content of polyphenol and antioxidant activity increased significantly and there are no significant issues in nutritional value of the cooked mushrooms."

Oddly, using a little oil when grilling mushrooms actually can increase their antioxidant properties, without a rise in calorie content.